Jalan Besar is known for many things. 

Our parents' generation will remember this area as home to the titan-of-its-era New World Amusement Park, an important landmark in the area known for its many exciting entertainment options. 

Football fans will remember Jalan Besar as the birthplace of Singapore football - with the Jalan Besar Stadium hosting numerous Malaya Cup and Malaysia Cup matches before their subsequent move to the National Stadium.

Our generation? Probably the countless cafes and eateries dotting the neighbourhood. And dim sum. 

Among this plethora of dim sum eateries in the area is Dim Sum Haus, a no-frills dim sum family business which we are going to review today.

There are actually 2 Dim Sum Haus outlets located within close proximity. The first one, at 57 Jalan Besar was the first outlet to be opened. A second outlet at 19 Upper Weld Road, which is the one we visited, is only a stone throw away from Jalan Besar MRT Station's Exit B. 

The newer outlet at 19 Upper Weld Road

Dim Sum Haus is run by a couple who left their corporate jobs as accountants 5 years ago, to fulfill their dreams of serving high quality and delicious dim sum to the masses. 

It is also well worth noting that all of Dim Sum Haus' creations are painstakingly made by hand and from scratch in morning in their own kitchen, thus ensuring that only the freshest and highest quality dim sum are served to their customers.

Sporting a modern interior

Signature Dishes

We all love our rice rolls, and Dim Sum Haus' Steamed Crispy Rice Roll with Shrimp ($5.00) is definitely one worth checking out during your next visit. 

Sink your teeth into the tenderness of the steamed rice roll, before experiencing crunch-gasm from the crispy fried rice roll made with Vietnamese rice net. The sweet and savoury soy sauce enveloping the rice rolls was not too overbearing, with just the right dose of umami.

Plump rice rolls with a surprise within

The Steamed Charcoal Chicken & Shrimp Dumpling ($5.50) is another ingenious creation by Dim Sum Haus. Instead of just using traditional siew mai skin made from flour and eggs, they added charcoal powder to the mix to give the siew mai skin an earthy and smoky taste. 

And that's not all, the addition of fish roe to the top of the siew mai gives the otherwise chewy texture of the siew mai a different dimension with its crunchy texture. A welcome contrast definitely.

The charcoal skin gives it a earthy and smoky taste

People often say that you can tell whether a dim sum place is good just be looking at their char siew buns, and Dim Sum Haus certainly does not disappoint in this aspect. Their Honey BBQ Pork Bun ($5.00) comes with soft and spongey white buns filled with a generous amount of honey glazed BBQ pork bits. Each bite filled us up with nothing but happiness.

Sweet and savoury char siew in a soft and chewy bun

For those looking for something different, you'll enjoy Dim Sum Haus' take on spicy wontons - their Japanese Dumplings ($6.10) made with pork, shrimp, black fungus and turnip fillings drenched in a mixture of mala oil and their special in-house sauce. The result is a meaty and crunchy dumpling with a hint of spice. It was surprisingly not overly spicy despite the use of mala oil. 

Something you don't expect to see in dim sum places

We also really liked their Mini Steam Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf ($4.90). More often that not, eateries have had to compromise freshness and quality of food for speed. Dim Sum Haus deserves credit for sticking to their guns and insisting on freshly preparing each and every dish upon order. 

What you get on your table is the real essence of dim sum - food with an emphasis on freshness and hand craftsmanship.

Soft and fragrant glutinous rice

Finally, the highlight of our meal - the Century Egg and Lean Meat Congee ($5). What you get is a perfectly smooth and thoroughly comforting congee with generous amounts of fried dough fritters and century egg. 

What surprised us the most was that the dough fritters remained crispy even after having been soaked in the congee for quite a while. We will go as far as to say your meal at Dim Sum Haus cannot be considered complete if you did not have one of their congees. Just look at the visuals!

This is a must-order

From the friendly staff at Dim Sum Haus to the top-notch quality dim sum they serve, it is no surprise then to hear of snaking queues outside both Dim Sum Haus outlets every weekend. Coupled with the cozy dining environment, it certainly made us want to come back with our friends and family again.

merewards 1-for-1 Deals

Are you a merewards member? If so, you get to enjoy 1-for-1 deals on Congee ($7.15), Steamed Dim Sum ($5.35), or Desserts ($5.20) such as the Sweetened Mango Sago with Pomelo or Wolfberry Osmanthus Jelly at their Upper Weld Road outlet. 

Always space for desserts

Dim Sum Haus (Upper Weld Road)
Address: 19 Upper Weld Road, S207376
Opening Hours: Daily 8.30am to 3.00pm, closed on Wed & Thu
Nearest MRT Station: Jalan Besar Station

Redeem 1-for-1 deals from Dim Sum Haus here

This is an independent review brought to you by merewards.